An Update on Mayor Weaver’s FAST Start Initiative
Mayor Karen Weaver’s office said lead-tainted service lines at 729 homes have been replaced so far in Phase 5 of the FAST Start initiative. The effort is part of the mayor’s plan to replace lead tainted pipes at 6,000 Flint homes in 2018.
Crews from five area companies are replacing lead and galvanized service lines leading from the street to the water meter in residents’ homes during this fifth phase of FAST Start, extending the mayor’s efforts to restore safe, clean drinking water to Flint residents. Overall, service lines to 6,896 homes have been replaced since FAST Start began in March 2016.
In addition, crews have identified copper service lines at a total of 3,899 homes which did not need to be replaced. The composition of service lines are checked using traditional excavation. The process allows pipe replacement crews to properly identify lead and galvanized pipes. So far, lines at 4,628 homes have been checked this year and a total of 13,461 have been excavated to date.
To be eligible for service line replacements, residents must have an active water account. They also must sign a consent card giving permission for the work to be done (consent cards are being delivered to residents). In rental homes, both the owner and the tenant must sign consent cards. Residents are urged to sign the consent cards as soon as possible, so crews working in their neighborhood can replace their service line.
The goal is to have all of Flint’s lead-tainted service lines — nearly 20,000 — replaced by 2020, with 6,000 pipes replaced annually.
More information about the FAST Start initiative can be found on the City of Flint website.
